Josche

On Monday I installed a set of 225/45ZR-18 Bridgestone Potenza S-03 Pole Position tires that I purchased from Tire Rack. I paid $129 each (they have been on sale for a while, they were originally $234 per tire).

The stock Bridgestones I replaced go for $205 each at Tire Rack.

Anyway, I've only put 100 miles or so on the new tires, so there is some breaking-in left to do, but here are my impressions:

1. The new tires seem quieter than the old ones.
2. Pushed the same way, these tires engage DSC far less frequently. Even with relatively tame driving, I used to get the DSC light all the time when going around corners, which made me question the programming of the DSC/Traction Control system for the car. I think this was the fault of the old tires, not the computer.
3. The new tires feel like they break free more progressively. I feel more comfortable throwing the car around a turn as a result.
4. The ride feels a little bit smoother; I notice less choppiness over bumps than the old tires.
5. On my way to work I drive on a road that has a lot of camber that would cause bad tramlining with the old tires. I don't notice this nearly as much with the new ones.
6. Overall I can't say that I can notice a significant difference in grip, although grip probably explains why the DSC doesn't kick in as often.
7. No experience in rain so far.

Anyway, I've read people complaining about the stock Bridgestones and now I can understand why. I've also read some negatives about the S-03 I purchased, but my experience so far tells me that they are superior to the stock tires and hard to beat at $129 each (although maybe tough to replace if I get a puncture because they have been discontinued).

Josh

SouthFL

Thanks for the write up. I have a set of S-03's sitting in the garage waiting to go on once these stock Dunlops need replacing.

I'm not expecting the world from these S-03's- just looking for something comparable to the Dunlops (or a tad bit better), and the price was right.

grvmchne

Anymore folow up on this? Thanks for the reviews!

SouthFL

I've been using them for over a month now. Ran them at Sebring as well.
An improvement in grip over the stock tire. Sidewall isn't as stiff as a more track oriented tire, but this is a good daily driver/ track compromise. More than enough tire for street use only. Great clearance price at Tire Rack.

grvmchne

Got this tire from Tire Rack and so far I like them. A little more road noise than my stocks, but much better in the rain. You are right, they are a little less stiff in the sidewalls but not too bad for a daily driver. Visually, they look a tad wider than my stocks since they have a large rim guard. Failry pleased so far...let's see how they last over the next year or so!

rotorhead335

OP:
Agreed on all or nearly all counts. The S03 is way better than the OEM tires (040). Still seems noisy to me. But when I put my Kumho Ecsta SPT on following the stock tires, I felt I gained tons of grip, etc., and they were quieter. Going from the SPT to the S03, I am undecided so far if the grip is better. I do think the S03 is noisier, but I also think turn-in is superb. Problem is (as for comparisons), I ran the Kumhos pretty much down to "not safe to drive me now," so it's been a long time. That makes memory-based valid comparisons difficult. I do think the the Kumhos are one of the best bargains going, and they stick like stink! If I had to say: The S03 may be the better all around, high-performance tire, and I definitely think it flexes less in turns. I also think I can push harder into high-speed turns, hairpins, etc., and it is like I'm on rails--car just keeps hanging on. YMMV.

Good luck,
Jeffrey

dmp

Back in my miata days, I've seen Miatas with S03's lapping as-fast, sticking as well, as others with Azenis.

I bump this thread because I too just got a set of $125 SO3s to replace my aging Azenis. I won't like giving up a little width (going back down to 225 tires), but I'll like having these at least a couple years. I'm at about 17K miles on my Azenis, and they're just about to the wear bars.

fray

iTrader: (1)

I have about 2 years (14k miles) on my S-03's. While they still aren't as loud at the original RE-040's that were on the car, they have gotten progressively louder.

As far as grip, they still grip really well. Not as good as new.. but still good enough I don't normally break free.

The one downside is that they are wearing out at least as fast, if not slightly faster then the original RE-040's. (Even though they have a higher tredware rating from Bridgestone.)

All in all, I'd still recommend them.